The Four Seasons Tamarindo Resort on the Pacific Coast of Mexico was a decade within the making, however it was definitely worth the wait. It took that lengthy between the preliminary talks and the primary visitor check-in to finish the highway to the bay, construct the buildings by the ocean, construct the cliffside suites, end all of the interiors, rent a employees able to interface with luxurious guests, and 1,000,000 different issues that needed to fall into place on this distant location in Costalegre.
Fortunately, the golf course was already in place, the remnant of a resort advanced one bay over that’s now a second seashore with watersports and ultimately could have residences.
The finish result’s nothing in need of spectacular, so the primary impression from arrival to the foyer to arrival at your Four Seasons suite will probably be jaw-dropping. It’s usually the little issues, the particular moments that actually take a trip from “nice” to “amazing” although, so we needed to spotlight some aspects we couldn’t get to in our full Tamarindo Resort overview we posted just lately. Plus we needed to take you on a video tour of the property.
Check out the video beneath and scroll by means of the surprises and experiences that make the Four Seasons Tamarindo such a delight.
Pacific Ocean Views From Every Vantage Point
As you’ll see from our video tour beneath, practically the entire time your eyes are open at this oceanfront resort you’ll be taking a look at one thing fascinating. There are only a few suites that don’t have an ocean view and also you’re looking on the water from two of the three eating places, the bar, the lounge, the foyer, and all of the swimming swimming pools. Come have a look:
While the beachfront suites are fairly good and provides you quick access to the sand, the cliffside models have a extra dramatic and panoramic view, looking at cliffs and rock formations that the waves are crashing in opposition to. At sure occasions of the yr, you would possibly see whales swimming by.
Abundant Nature Surrounding the Resort
It takes fairly some time to get from the principle freeway to the Four Seasons Tamarindo and that’s since you’re using by means of 1000’s of acres of jungle. Then past simply the huge property that this resort proprietor has, the jungle continues on in each instructions alongside the coast. There is a lot wild room to roam right here that 5 of the six wild cats present in Mexico have been noticed in Costalegre, together with jaguars.
I didn’t have time to maintain deep into the wildest elements, however I did head out of the foyer space with native naturalist Paco to take an extended stroll within the woods. This is likely one of the common actions supplied to visitors and the naturalists attempt to cater the character hike to the talents and wishes of the visitors. If there are birdwatchers, the stroll begins earlier. If there are hard-core hikers, there are longer choices with some elevation.
My information identified quite a lot of native crops within the space and emphasised that the homeowners have made some extent of not planting timber that aren’t endemic to the realm, corresponding to pine, coconut palms, or eucalyptus. They additionally go away the useless timber in place to supply properties for the animals. “That dead tree only had two holes a few months ago,” he informed me as we checked out a giant barkless trunk with 4 holes in it. “There are owls or other birds living in there, like an apartment building.”
We noticed some tracks within the mud. Paco defined that the animals usually use the paths and repair roads to maneuver extra shortly than they’ll by means of the vegetation, so it’s frequent to see tracks from wild cats or coatis. In the timber we might see trogons and parrots, plus it was straightforward to listen to the noisy chicken-like chachalacas.
The Chocolate Tree Welcome Gift
Speaking of useless timber, when you guide the suitable suite at Four Seasons Tamarindo, you would possibly discover a very uncommon merchandise there once you arrive. It seems just like the trunk of a useless bonsai tree, one which has been twisted by the fixed winds of the coast. On nearer inspection although, it’s not bark, wooden, and moss you’re taking a look at, however quite edible chocolate and spun sugar.
The tree might not seem like dessert, however it’s scrumptious!
Fermented Beverages Workshop on the Bar
Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo is a good distance from anything, so that they purpose to verify visitors don’t get bored by providing all types of lessons and actions. Besides the character hikes above and the cooking class beneath, you can too discover included lessons for yoga, pilates, stand-up paddleboarding, espresso extraction, and extra. Only a couple of actions require an additional cost, like a motorbike tour, photograph workshop, or boat tour.
I used to be intrigued by the Fermented Beverages Workshop on the schedule throughout my keep and bellied as much as the bar to test it out. I assumed we could be speaking about beer and pulque, however as a substitute I realized quite a bit about native non-alcoholic fermented drinks that you just discover in numerous elements of Mexico.
I don’t understand how I’ve by no means heard of pre-hispanic tepache as a result of within the weeks since, I’ve heard folks point out the beverage 3 times. It’s a scrumptious pineapple drink created from the peelings that normally get tossed. They’re positioned in a jar with brown sugar water and after 5 days or so, you get a carbonated drink that gained’t get you drunk. (It’s an awesome base for cocktails although and I loved a mezcal one on the finish.) You can combine in different fruit too, so long as it’s not acidic. I’m able to make some now.
They don’t do a lot with kombucha right here on this tropical local weather however I additionally tasted tejuino, a fermented drink created from leftover corn batter masa that you just make tortillas or tamales from, plus brown sugar (the laborious Mexican type is known as piloncillo), salt, and lime juice. It’s particularly widespread in close by Colima, the place persons are promoting it on the road all through the day. Some recipes add anise and cinnamon.
An Aguachile Cooking Class
In the video above there are some brief clips from the cooking class the place we made Aguachile Negro with Chef Angel. Its not likely black, however it will get that title from the tiny peppers in it that flip black when roasted. Our chef emphasised that there are a number of recipes for aguachile, identical to there are for related ceviche, relying on private style for what you wish to add to the seafood, lime, onions, and a few form of chilies. Those components are the bottom, plus the seafood and lime juice want to combine first for the “cooking” half so that you’re not consuming uncooked seafood.
One of my favourite eating places in Puerto Vallarta serves most likely a dozen completely different kinds of Aguachile and we blended it up ourselves, doing three completely different variations by including completely different components ultimately. We received a printed recipe to take with us and received a behind-the-scenes tour of the spacious Four Seasons Tamarindo Resort kitchen, with completely different sections for several types of dishes and desserts.
The Return of El Tamarindo Golf Course
Back within the ’00s, El Tamarindo was a legendary quest form of place, one you visited when you had been on the lookout for bragging rights along with your {golfing} buddies again residence. Unlike the Los Cabos golf programs or those round Puerto Vallarta, this one takes some actual effort to get to. The grounds are an hour north of Manzanillo, which implies altering planes in Mexico City for many guests, or near 4 hours when you’re coming down from the worldwide airport at Puerto Vallarta.
Now that the Tamarindo golf course is again open to the general public and there’s a resort to remain in between rounds, this new resort ought to be on the record for any severe golfer. It’s not some forgiving “resort course” both. It’s straightforward to lose your ball within the jungle, to hit a tree that’s been there for 100 years, or to get swallowed up within the many sand traps positioned by course designer David Fleming.
About half the holes have some form of ocean view and as you’ll be able to see from that shot above, a few of them are actually breathtaking. Otherwise you’ll be surrounded by nature and the one sounds will probably be chirping birds. Some of the cart paths undergo wild forests earlier than popping out on a tee with an extended fairway in entrance of you.
Sustainability at Four Seasons Tamarindo
Back once we first launched Luxury Latin America within the late ’00s, it was laborious to discover a luxurious resort that gave greater than lip service to sustainability and the setting. The argument was that luxurious vacationers would complain in the event that they weren’t supplied bottled water, throwaway tiny toiletries, and air-con in each public area.
Soon after that although, Four Seasons Costa Rica confirmed that the majority of these arguments had been b.s. by pushing visitors to replenish reusable water bottles and settle for toiletry dispensers that didn’t have to enter the rubbish at every checkout. Thankfully most different high-end resorts are coming round, realizing that rich visitors aren’t essentially egocentric visitors. They care about local weather change and ocean air pollution as a lot as anybody, perhaps extra.
The homeowners and managers right here have embraced that ethos all through the property. I used to be form of shocked that there weren’t any photo voltaic panels on this distant location, however in most different methods this Four Seasons has embraced sustainability. Those poolside cups above seem like what you’d get from Starbucks, however they’re really reusable and get washed. Out of the body is a giant refillable dispenser of high quality sunscreen that’s free for visitors to make use of.
There’s a jug of purified consuming water within the room and when you want a water bottle to go, for the golf course or a hike maybe, the resort makes use of a model that’s in paper cartons, not plastic. There’s not a lot single-use plastic to be discovered wherever on website, actually, and the golf carts making the rounds for transportation and deliveries are rechargeable electrical ones. The golf course and backyard areas are watered with processed grey water and most of the public areas are cooled by ocean breezes.
The culinary director can be overseeing an natural farm down the highway on the property, at the moment 35 acres, and rising every thing from microgreens to mushrooms to agave (ultimately they’ll have their very own tequila to bottle). There are at the moment 90 geese, 1,000 chickens, numerous pigs, and sheep, plus 17 sorts of fruit timber. The aim is to supply a excessive share of their very own meals so it doesn’t should be trucked over from the opposite aspect of Jalisco. See extra concerning the ranch right here.
There had been loads of different issues we cherished, like swinging in a hammock on our balcony, having fun with scrumptious dishes from a menu designed by movie star chef Elena Reygadas, and listening to tales from the fascinating bilingual staffers, however this put up is already lengthy sufficient…
See our full overview of Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo on the journal aspect.